Americans are in love with work. We brag about our long hours and lack of sleep while buying productivity-boosting self-help books so we can make the most of each waking moment.
And the worst part is, we don’t get much out of it. We make pitiful wages, have very few sick days, and are expected to sacrifice our days off at the boss’s whim.
Europeans have a very different relationship with work, and they’re often shocked by the differences.
European vs. American Work Culture
Our friends across the pond lurk in American work-focused subs on Reddit for the shock factor. “Is this really how things are in the States?” they wonder.
One European user posted in the popular antiwork subreddit, expressing disgust at America’s working conditions.
“So I’m a long time lurker of this sub and just wanted to say some words,” the original poster (OP) began.
“I’m a foreman at a warehouse in an EU country, and I’m in [chock] sic. at what kind of piss poor working conditions you have in the US. If I could, I would offer you all a job at my workplace because sh– that I read here would never fly here.”
Examples of Poor Working Conditions
The user offered examples of messed-up working conditions they often see discussed in the sub, saying that none of these would fly in their own European country.
These differences highlight the vast differences in European vs American work culture, and showcase that Americans have the short end of the stick.
Your Day Off Isn’t Yours
In the US, many employers expect employees to be “on call” even if they aren’t paid for it. Workers should drop everything, come in if called, cover shifts for coworkers, and be a “team player.”
According to the OP, “You should enjoy your life on a free day and not think about work.”
I guess Europeans don’t have to stress out about missing a call from the boss on their day off.
Who Covers Shifts?
In America, many retail and service workers must find someone to cover their shift if they need a day off. They can’t call in sick unless there is coverage, and a manager expects the sick employee to do the work of finding someone.
The OP pointed out that covering shifts is a manager’s responsibility. It shouldn’t fall on the sick employee’s shoulders. Unfortunately, there’s no legal mandate about who is responsible for shift coverage in the United States, so a manager can offload the responsibility to an employee with no repercussions.
HR is on the Wrong Side
When users seek help from the Antiwork sub regarding working conditions, respondents are generally quick to point out that HR exists to protect the company, not the employee.
OP thinks this system is backward. “HR should be on the employee’s side, not the bosses,” they said.
Little to No Vacation
Workers in the US are lucky if they get two weeks off per year for vacation time. Many European countries require companies to offer far more.
OP expressed disdain at the limited time off enjoyed by Americans. “You should at least have 4 weeks of paid vacation. We are humans and not robots,” they said.
Limited Sick Days?
Speaking of time off, the OP was flabbergasted that the US limits the number of sick days an employee can take.
People can’t control their illnesses. It’s impossible to control how long a sickness will last, when you’ll catch a new bug, or when the kids get sick.
In the US, people without sick time have to choose between losing money and going to work sick. That would never happen in Europe.
Other European Users Agree
European Redditors jumped into the thread to agree with OP.
“I started with 6 weeks here in Germany. Since I didn’t take 5 days last year, I have 35 days this year, said one, discussing their paid time off. “Stuff I read here is unimaginable,” they added.
“Spain here,” announced another. “22 days off plus 14 bank holidays. Maximum of 1880 hours worked per year, including overtime, with mandated 1.5 days of rest a week and 12 hours between shifts. And yeah, if you’re too sick to work, that’s it. Two days or six months, doesn’t matter. That’s just the legal bare minimum; normally, collective bargaining will improve it one way or another. We have problems, but compared to America, they’re not a big deal.”
American Users Respond
American users had nothing kind to say about their toxic work environment.
Users pointed out that companies would prefer it if employees came to work sick because they could hire fewer people.
“They expect us to work sick,” said one.
“A literal Dr.’s note will not excuse ya from getting points in the worst places to work for,” replied another.
Others said even companies that offer time off restrict how employees use it.
“After working 90/100hr weeks all year, my work wouldn’t even let me stack my 5days of vacation with my two days off to have 7 consecutive days off in a row. Their reasoning….just because, no,” commented one.
Why is American Work Culture Awful?
Some Redditors took the opportunity to discuss why our work culture is so harmful to workers.
Key points included a lack of social cohesion, the “crabs in a bucket” mentality, and successful propaganda against collective bargaining.
Others pointed out the idea of American individualism and exceptionalism.
“There is a ridiculous, inexplicably accepted attitude here that you just power through whatever,” said one user. “No one wants hear your “excuses” as to why you can’t work. They really do make you feel like you’re a whiny, weak little liar who is just trying to get out of their “responsibilities.” Anyone who stands up against it is swiftly singled out as a liar/not a team player/whiner,” they added.
American Policy and Propaganda are to Blame
The real answer is that American policy promotes toxic work attitudes. You can’t compare European vs. American work culture without investigating the legal framework surrounding work.
In Europe, law mandates worker protections. In America, the law generally sides with the ownership class.
Propaganda is also to blame, as Americans buy into the just-world fallacy, believing that individuals are responsible for everything. Europeans reject that premise and understand that systematic problems require systematic solutions.
Perhaps someday Americans will collectively realize that the wealthy are taking advantage of our values to keep us begging for scraps, but until that day, we’ll be stuck with a toxic work culture.